Castle's Fortress. Rhonda Lee Carver

house was the best place to be until Crystal disappeared. Everything changed after that horrible day.

      She pushed the thoughts aside as they got to the upstairs. It looked like the downstairs; run down, empty, full of cobwebs, and dusty. “This place stinks like the old shoes mom buys from the second-hand store.” Fall waved her hand in front of her face.

      “She’s not here, Fall. Crystal isn’t here.” Jake’s words were loud through the musty, cool air.

      “It’s okay, Jake. They’ll find her. When they do your mom will be normal again, smiling all the time, and baking peanut butter cookies. She’ll even take you to the zoo like she promised.” She patted his thin shoulder in support.

      A loud boom made them jump. Fall’s scream echoed off the bare, cracked walls as the trepidation washed over her.

      A screeching moan made her jerk again.

      “It’s okay, Fall. It’s only the tree branch hitting the window. See?” Jake pointed and then patted her on the arm.

      Fall swallowed a sob but she couldn’t hold back the tears as they fell like rain drops on her cheeks. “I wanna go, Jake! I want to go now!” She swiped the moisture away.

      His face softened. “Okay. We’ll go.”

      They stepped toward the door and the flashlight shut off. Without the golden beam of light the room was swathed in darkness. “Turn it back on, Jake. Quit playin’ and turn it back on.” Fall tugged on his arm. She didn’t care if he called her a baby.

      “I ain’t playing,” he whispered. She heard the snapping of the on-off switch but nothing happened. “This ain’t possible. I put new batteries in before I left home. Let go for a second.” Jake pulled his hand away from her tight grasp. Fall listened as he flipped the switch a few more times before he smacked the plastic against the palm of his hand.

      A scratching sound, like fingernails sliding down a chalkboard, filled the shadows.

      “What’s that noise, Jake?” She listened closely. “You better not be joking or I swear I won’t play with you ever again, you hear? I don’t care if I have to play alone.”

      “Shh. Quiet, Fall.” He elbowed her shoulder. “I hear it, too.”

      “That’s not the tree limb again.” Fall pushed her trembling hands into her pockets and fingered the rabbit’s foot she carried for good luck. Jake had given it to her on her birthday.

      The noise stopped as the blue haze of the moonlight filtered in. Fall adjusted her eyes, watching the shadows from the tree dance in the pale glow.

      Jake gasped, and Fall saw the shadow crouched in the far corner. The silhouette slowly moved and the air turned icy. Fall shivered as goose bumps popped out on her skin. The window was blanketed with a layer of frost and Fall’s breath made a translucent mist.

      From the blurred image, a girl’s shape formed. Her long golden hair hung in thick ringlets down her bony shoulders. The torn dress she wore clung to her like willowy curtains. She kept her face hidden toward the floor. A soft whimpering sound came from her.

      “This ain’t Crystal, Jake.”

      “Who are you?” Jake whispered. No answer came. “You better tell me now. Who are you?” he asked again.

      The girl’s head lifted slowly. Her hair hung like a drape, covering her features. The only things visible were the black orbs of her eyes and her lips, which were like liquid crimson.

      Fall stood deathly still. She pulled her hands out of her pockets and clenched them into fists. Watching and waiting, she wanted to move, her brain screamed for her to run, but her feet were heavy and wouldn’t budge.

      She heard something. It reminded her of a rake being dragged across the floor. It was a swirling sound that grew louder until it became so loud that it deafened Fall’s ears. Then it stopped, and a warm sensation spread through her toes, up the length of her legs and shot into her chest. Her heart banged against her ribs. She couldn’t breathe.

      Fall wanted to reach for Jake but her hand was frozen to her side.

      “Fall? Fall? Are you okay?”

      Jake’s voice resonated from far away, as though he had yelled through a tunnel.

      The glowing shape moved closer and Fall opened her mouth wide. She wanted to scream but no sound came. She tried to jolt away but the prickly sensation spreading through her muscles halted her, and tears moistened her eyes. Her vision became fuzzy as a cloud passed over her. She squirmed but she was lost. She found herself thrust into the woods, running fast.

      Her breathing grew louder in her ears as tree branches scratched at her face and shoulders. Somehow she’d lost her shoes. Her bare feet hurt as she stumbled over the twigs and rocks embedded in the dirt. She wanted to stop to catch a lungful of air, but someone was chasing her. She could hear their thumping footsteps and heavy wheezing.

      Weeds from the overgrown path tangled around her ankles and pulled her to her knees. Her skin stung at the feeling of sharp rocks cutting into her. She whimpered and crawled over a fallen tree. The rough bark scratched her skin and a thin branch caught hold of her pants leg. She jerked and tugged until finally the wood snapped and she was set free. From the force, she went rolling backward. She started to get up but she heard the rustling of leaves nearby and froze, statue-still.

      Loud, pounding footsteps grew closer, deafening her ears as she pressed her face against the cold dirt. She buried her eyes into her palms as a hand slammed into her hair, tugging her to her feet. The roots of her hair made hollow popping sounds as clumps ripped from her scalp.

      The sting in her head went numb as cold, thick fingers circled the tender skin on her neck.

      She screamed in silent horror as the grip on her throat closed off her air. She flailed her arms and legs, hitting and kicking through empty space. The power became too strong to fight. Her vision became hazy and her lungs hurt.

      With dwindling strength, she clawed at the hand squeezing her neck. Something dropped into the line of her fuzzy sight. A gold cross dangled from a chain.

      Then everything went black.

      Fall was transported through a black tunnel back to the old, cold house. Her vision slowly cleared and she darted a glance around for the image of the girl, but it was gone.

      A grip on her shoulder alarmed Fall and she swung a fist hard into the air, contacting with soft flesh. “No!” Her voice pounded the walls. “Leave me alone!”

      “Fall?” Jake lay sprawled on the floor from her punch to his jaw.

      She moved backward, slabs of wood shifting underneath her feet. Jake sat up, his expression white with fear.

      “Look out, Fall!”

      Her foot slipped on the top rung of the stairs, sending her body off balance. She reached out and grasped the banister. In that split second, her gaze connected with Jake’s. He was wide-eyed with terror.

      The loud snap of wood splintering burst through the empty house as Fall lost her grip. She watched in horror as Jake lurched forward to grab onto her. Too late.

      A bright light flashed before her eyes.

      A loud scream split the air.

      Then came darkness.

       Chapter 2

       Present Day

      A light tap on her shoulder pulled Fall back from her memories of the past. Blinking her eyes, she focused on the young man staring at her. Interest narrowed his gaze.

      “Hey, lady. You okay? Did you want to get off on the sixth floor?”

      She slid her fingers through her hair and forced a smile to her lips. Trapped in her thoughts, her mind was fuzzy. She’d drifted on the short ride up the elevator.